Steven R. Shapiro is the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, and, as you might expect from someone in that job, he watches the Supreme Court as closely as anyone. Heís a savvy analyst of the courtís work and the publicís reaction to it.

But he began a recent briefing for reporters, about the term that begins Monday, with a confession about something he said he got completely wrong when the court completed its work in June.

He said the courtís actions had guaranteed that the justices ďwould be a major issue in this yearís presidential campaign.Ē

Shapiro hardly seemed to be was going out on a limb after one of the courtís most substantive and controversial terms in years, marked by round-the-clock news coverage of the courtís 5 to 4 decision to affirm the constitutionality of President Obamaís health-care law.